Why does the surface of the moon have many craters?

Why does the surface of the moon have many craters?

One reason the moon has craters because it gets hit by objects, small pieces of rocks that come from outer space. These are pieces of asteroids, comets that are flying around in the solar system. When they hit the surface, there’s an impact. The moon has no atmosphere, and so even a tiny rock will create a crater.

Why is the surface of the moon still old?

This is because the Earth is geologically active, with plate tectonics and erosion having obliterated most craters from an earlier epoch. In contrast the surface of the Moon is much older, with much more cratering. Some regions of the moon exhibit near maximal cratering density, indicating that they are very old.

What is the deepest crater on the Moon?

The South Pole–Aitken basin
The South Pole–Aitken basin (SPA Basin, /ˈeɪtkɪn/) is an immense impact crater on the far side of the Moon. At roughly 2,500 km (1,600 mi) in diameter and between 6.2 and 8.2 km (3.9–5.1 mi) deep, it is one of the largest known impact craters in the Solar System.

What is the largest impact crater on Earth?

The Yilan Crater is the largest meteorite impact crater on Earth in 100,000 years, reported Xinhua News Agency. The article noted that the crater was exposed in the Early Jurassic granite of the regional Paleozoic-Mesozoic granite complexes. China so far has two confirmed impact structures.

What are 4 surface features seen on the Moon?

The surface of the moon The moon’s surface is covered with dead volcanoes, impact craters, and lava flows, some visible to the unaided stargazer. Early scientists thought the dark stretches of the moon might be oceans, and so named such features mare, which is Latin for “seas” (maria when there are more than one).

Why have very old craters on the Moon not been erased?

Why have very old craters in the moon not been erased as similar craters on earth have been? There are no erosion forces on the moon as there are on earth. 4- a solid rock crust formed over the outer surface of the moon.

Who is the oldest person to land on the Moon?

Alan Shepard
Alan Shepard was the oldest person to walk on the Moon, at age 47 years and 80 days….Apollo astronauts who walked on the Moon.

Name Neil Armstrong
Born August 5, 1930
Mission Apollo 11
Lunar EVA dates July 21, 1969
Military service Civilian (Navy veteran)

Does the dark side of the Moon have craters?

The far side has more visible craters. This was thought to be a result of the effects of lunar lava flows, which cover and obscure craters, rather than a shielding effect from the Earth. NASA calculates that the Earth obscures only about 4 square degrees out of 41,000 square degrees of the sky as seen from the Moon.

How old is the oldest crater on Earth?

around 2.2 billion years old
Instead, a study published Jan. 21 in the journal Nature claims the Yarrabubba impact structure in Western Australia, at around 2.2 billion years old, is now the oldest known impact crater.

How many meteors hit the Earth every day?

25 million meteors
About 25 million meteors enter the Earth’s atmosphere every day (duck!). Most burn up and about 1 million kilograms of dust per day settles to the Earth’s surface. The most common meteorites are chondrites, which are stony meteorites.

Is there gold on the Moon?

Golden Opportunity on the Moon The moon isn’t so barren after all. A 2009 NASA mission—in which a rocket slammed into the moon and a second spacecraft studied the blast—revealed that the lunar surface contains an array of compounds, including gold, silver, and mercury, according to PBS.

Why is it so difficult to find craters on Earth?

On Earth, impact craters are harder to recognize because of weathering and erosion of its surface. The Moon lacks water, an atmosphere, and tectonic activity, three forces that erode Earth’s surface and erase all but the most recent impacts.